This invention relates to wire connectors and is particularly concerned with a push-in wire connector in which at least one of the wire holding mechanisms is releasable.
There are numerous instances in electrical circuits where a circuit element fails and needs replacing. Ballasts for fluorescent light fixtures are but one example of a circuit element whose life is shorter than other parts of the circuit. Replacing such worn out circuit elements traditionally has required a relatively time consuming procedure wherein wires to the failed device are cut and connections of the remaining, existing wiring to the wires of a new device must be made individually. The time and cost of such procedures could be reduced if the spent device were connected to the circuit by one or more wire connectors that are both releasable and reusable. Then the spent device could simply be disconnected from the circuit and the wires of a new device could be attached to the connector or connectors. U.S. Pat. No. 3,324,447 in FIG. 5 shows a releasable connector which provides a slot for receiving a separate wire release tool that pushes back a wire engaging spring clip. The present invention provides a releasable connector that does not require use of separate tool because the release mechanism is built into the connector.
Another difficulty with releasable, reusable wire connectors is very often the removal of a spent device and the replacement with a new one must be done in a live circuit. Thus, when old wires are removed and new wires are inserted into a connector, the contacts of the connector are subject to arcing as they break and make contact with the wires of an energized circuit. The arcing leads to serious degradation of the contacts which can cause them to fail after only a small number of insertions and removals of wires. The present invention provides a contact for a releasable wire connector that is not subject to premature failure due to arcing.